Based on the 1997 Dolcettos I tasted, this vintage may be as great as the Piedmontese are claiming. The early-released Dolcettos possess dense purple colors, gobs of ripe fruit, and good freshness and underlying acidity. This effort from Carretta is a velvety, medium-bodied, succulent 1997 Dolcetto d'Alba with plenty of chocolate and berry-tinged fruit. A delicious, fun wine, with a slight tanginess in the lush finish, it should be consumed over the next year. A Leonardo Locasio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620